Search - Mannix - The First Season on DVD

Jeff T.
Reviewed on 4/24/2012...

Certainly a great show at the time but does not compare to memories of how great it was.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Mannix Comes to DVD!!

E. Hornaday | Lawrenceville, NJ United States | 02/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, FINALLY, the very best Classic TV detective series EVER produced comes to DVD in a first-season set. For its legion of fans, it is a huge understatement to say this release is eagerly anticipated. Thanks to CBS/Parmount for putting this series out on DVD. Let's hope the remaining seasons quickly follow.

Mannix ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller (who also created Mission: Impossible), the title character, Joe Mannix, is a two-fisted private investigator portrayed by Mike Connors.

Rarely has an actor so inhabited a TV character that it's impossible to separate the two. This series represents one of those times, and even the show's producers recognized it when the unusual credit proclaimed: Mike Connors IS Mannix. The ruggedly handsome Connors was the perfect match, and made the signature loud sports jackets of the time look great on his altar ego. Mannix also drove a variety of convertibles, and even had a car phone - which was unheard of at the time!

Mannix originally worked for a high-concept computerized firm known as Intertect in the rarely seen first season. This DVD set represents all of those episodes, including the series' pilot.

Mannix featured a dynamic split-screen opening credits sequence set to its theme music from noted composer Lalo Schifrin. Unusual for a private detective series, the Mannix theme is in triple time, the same signature used for a waltz.

(FYI: The show's title, opening credits and closing credits are in variations of "City Typeface," a distinctive, squared-off, split-serif face that has long been used by IBM Corporation as part of their corporate design, and continues to be used in its logo today. The use of this style of credits for Mannix spelled out his name as if on computer punch cards utilized by fictitious Intertect, but it was maintained throughout the series.)

The first season of Mannix is a lot different than the more familiar episodes that began in the second season, when Mannix opened his own agency at 17 Paseo Verde, Los Angeles, California. It was in the second season that the brilliant actress Gail Fisher was brought on board as Mannix's devoted secretary, Peggy Fair, whose cop-husband was killed in line of duty.

In the first season, Mannix is not on his own but is employed by an agency that tries to solve crimes using computers. It's great to see what passed for cutting edge technology in the late 1960's. The computers were the old mainframe type, and used punch cards and reel-to-reel tapes, which some younger viewers today may never have ever seen in use. These first season episodes are almost NEVER aired in syndication

All 24 first season episodes will be on this six-disc set with guest stars that epitomized the best of the 1960's including: Kim Hunter, singer Neil Diamond, Tom Skerritt, singers Neil Young and Stephen Stills, Richard Mulligan, Norman Fell, Army Archerd, Rona Barrett, and Karen Black. In addition, the release contains special features that include episode introductions by Golden Globe and Emmy-winning star Connors, along with an interview.

In its eight-year run, Mannix quickly became a TV staple airing on Saturday's at 10 p.m. Not only was it noted for its great writing, acting, unusual camera angles, hot cars and visuals, but also its violence. Mannix was, by one count, shot 17 times and knocked unconscious another 55 during the show's run.

During the first season of the series, Mannix worked for Intertect in large Los Angeles, which was the most high-tech detective agency in the country. His superior was Lew Wickersham, played to perfection by Joseph Campanella. The tension between the two men was entertaining, since Mannix belonged to the classic hard-boiled school of American detectives (hard drinking, womanizing but compassionate, and always quick to action.) Mannix generally ignored the computers' solutions, disobeyed Wickersham and did things his own way.

Connors incorporated his own Armenian heritage into his character. Viewers were treated to a host of great Armenian proverbs Mannix shared at some of the most interesting and unexpected times. A Korean War Army veteran, Mannix also seemed to struggle with unspoken demons from that experiences.

From the second season on, Mannix worked on his own with the assistance Peggy Fair. (Fisher was one of the first African-American actresses to have a regular series role on TV. Later in the series, the producers even considered a romantic relationship between the two, but feared it was too controversial for the time. Nonetheless, the chemistry between the two is unmistakable). He also had assistance from the police department, the two most frequently depicted were Lt. Adam Tobias (portrayed by Robert Reed) and later Lt. Art Malcolm (portrayed by Ward Wood). Other police contacts were Lt. George Kramer (Larry Linville) and Lt. Dan Ives (Jack Ging).

The series was also memorable for its cool cars, primarily convertibles, that Mannix drove. In Season 1, he drove a customized Oldsmobile Toronado convertible (Oldsmobile never produced a convertible in that model for sale); in Seasons 2-3, he drove a Dodge Dart GTS 340 convertible; in Seasons 4-6, he drove a Plymouth Barracuda convertible; in Season 7, he drove a Dodge Challenger Coupe; and in Season 8, he drove a Chevrolet Camaro LT.

Included in this DVD set is the pilot, The Name is Mannix, which truly sets the tone for the whole series. In it, maverick private-eye Mannix tries to rescue the kidnaped daughter of former rackets' boss, Sam Dubrio. Mannix bets he can get the girl back, if he can persuade her father to risk the half-million dollar ransom plus another half-million dollars to bribe the kidnapers' pickup man.

The other episodes here from the first season are: The Cost of a Vacation; Skid Marks on a Dry Run; Then the Drink Takes the Man; The Many Deaths of Saint Christopher; Make It Like It Never Happened; License to Kill, Limit Three People; Beyond the Shadow of a Dream; Warning: Live Blueberries; Turn Every Stone; Huntdown; Coffin for a Clown; A Catalogue of Sins; Run Sheep, Run; Falling Star; To Kill a Writer; Deadfall Part 1; Deadfall Part 2; You Can Get Killed Out There; Another Final Exit; Eight to Five, It's a Miracle; Delayed Action; and The Girl in the Frame."

"Mannix" arriving June 3!

Anthony Caton | Arkansas. USA | 02/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many crime drama fans had given up hope that "Mannix" would ever come to DVD. Terrific news was announced jointly by Paramount and CBS on February 19, "Mannix -- The First Season," will be available for purchase, Tuesday, June 3. In the premier season Joe Mannix (Mike Connors) worked as an investigator for the Los Angeles based Intertect Detective Agency run by Lou Wickersham (the great character actor Joe Campanella). A treasure trove of first-rate actors appeared in "Mannix -- The First Season," including Julie Adams, Lloyd Nolan, Kim Hunter, Lynda Day George, Richard Mulligan, William Windom, Steve Ihnat, Grace Lee Whitney, Vincent Gardenia, Barbara Anderson, Bruce Gordon, Norman Fell, Beverly Garland, Richard Devon, Karen Black, Tom Skerritt, Brooke Bundy, Phillip Pine, Marilyn Mason, John Anderson, and Diana Muldaur, not to mention Neil Diamond as himself in episode 4, and Buffalo Springfield rocked in episode 7. Gail Fisher (as faithful Peggy Fair) arrived early on in Season 2. The 6-DVD set (24 episodes) contains a recently shot interview with Connors, in addition to episode intros by the star. Let's overwhelm CBS/Paramount with brisk early sales of "Mannix -- The First Season" so that the remaining seven seasons will be released in addition to (please, please) the complete season sets of the 60's/70's crime dramas "The FBI," "Cannon," and "Barnaby Jones."

Episode 1 "Name is Mannix" Lloyd Nolan, Kim Hunter, Barbara Anderson
Episode 2 "Skid Marks on Dry Road" Vincent Gardenia, Charles Drake
Episode 3 "Nothing Works Twice" Gloria DeHaven, Robert H. Harris
Episode 4 "Death of St. Christopher" John Marley, Linda Marsh
Episode 5 "Make Like It Didn't Happen" Phillip Pine, Elena Verdugo
Episode 6 "Cost of a Vacation" Marilyn Mason
Episode 7 "Warning: Live Blueberries" Tom Skerritt, Brooke Bundy
Episode 8 "Beyond Shadow of a Dream" Richard Mulligan
Episode 9 "Huntdown" Steve Ihnat, Paul Stevens
Episode 10 "Coffin for a Clown" Diana Muldaur, Norman Fell
Episode 11 "Catalogue of Sins" Percy Rodrigues
Episode 12 "Turn Every Stone" Joan Tompkins, Lindon Chiles
Episode 13 "Run, Sheep, Run" Richard Devon, Ruta Lee
Episode 14 "Drink Takes the Man" Julie Adams, John Anderson
Episode 15 "Falling Star" Marian Seldes
Episode 16 "License to Kill" Karen Black, Peter Haskell
Episode 17 "Deadfall Part I" Beverly Garland, Michael Tolan
Episode 18 "Deadfall Part II"
Episode 19 "You Can Get Killed" Marianna Hill, Mort Mills
Episode 20 "Final Exit" Jan Shepard, Larry Storch
Episode 21 "Eight to Five" Bruce Gordon
Episode 22 "Delayed Action" Robert Reed, Louise Sorel
Episode 23 "To Kill a Writer" Karl Lukas, Paul Peterson
Episode 24 "Girl in the Frame" William Windom, Leslie Parrish

"

I'd Give SIX Stars to "Mannix - The First Season"!

Benjamin J Burgraff | Las Vegas | 06/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up on Mike Connors' engagingly physical gumshoe, and I always felt Season One was the best of the series, so I have been walking on clouds since my copy of "Mannix - The First Season" arrived!

Digitally remastered, with audio introductions by Mike Connors, himself, the 'Bogart Meets Hi-Tech' adventures of Joe Mannix of Intertect (an idea WAY ahead of it's time, in 1967) combines the un-P.C. attitudes of the era (everybody smokes relentlessly, women are often mini-skirted window dressing, and the standard solution to problems is a right to the jaw or a bullet), with a growing awareness of changing times (counterculture is a theme of one episode, Buffalo Springfield and Neil Diamond perform, and racism is addressed, by no less than Roscoe Lee Browne). Co-starring with Connors is the wonderful Joseph Campanella, as Intertect chief 'Lew Wickersham', based on Lew Wasserman, of MCA. The exchanges between 'by-the-book' Wickersham and 'what the...' Mannix are often as much fun as the episodes, themselves!

Best of all, the Special Features actually ARE special...For this package, CBS brought back Connors (a chubby, cherubic 82), and Campanella (a razor-thin 74), for a two-part interview, to reminisce about the creation of the show, the physical hardships Connors endured, and the camaraderie of cast and crew. While a voice-over commentary for the pilot, by co-creator William Link, is silly (the concept was completely rewritten by producer Bruce Geller prior to filming, and Link knew nothing about the episode!), he does reveal that originally, Mannix's first name would never be revealed (CBS nixed this, but Link would use the idea, again, in his next series..."Columbo").

More treats are included on each disc, my favorites being TV-Land's ad for the series, focusing on Mannix's frequent pistol-whippings and shoulder wounds, a 70's "Mike Douglas" appearance, where Connors discusses his Armenian heritage, and TRIES to play a flute, and, especially, a brief clip from a 1997 "Diagnosis: Murder" episode, filmed as a sequel to a 24-year-old "Mannix" episode, with the 72-year-old detective still tackling cases!

Oh, heck, I could talk for hours about how GREAT "Mannix - The First Season" is...Just buy it, and see if you don't agree!"